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The Coffee Loft
Pardon My French Press
Portia
There’s nothing like getting fired by an overeducated dumb person on Christmas Eve!
Even worse, I’m not the first person my cantankerous-jerk bosshole pulled this on.
It isn’t fair. Not to mention I’m now broke.
Somebody must stop his bullying before his over-inflated-bobble head gets even bigger. And bobblier.
That somebody might as well be me.
Christian
Lofty sacrifices is my motto as I build my Coffee Loft empire.
I want to be the top boss, with my feet up on a mahogany desk.
My lightly iced, half-caff, Grande, 5-pump, sugar free, cinnamon dolce, almond milk latte with whip in one hand and the keys to my Mercedes in the other.
Goals.
Eliminate anyone who gets in my way.
I’ve already forgotten little Miss Attitude, who I just fired.
That is until she returns with a diabolical plan to steal all my customers.
I do the only thing I know how to do and declare war!
Pardon my French Press is a forced proximity, enemies to lovers, slow burn, sweet romantic comedy with a HEA. It’s perfect for fans of exaggerated slapstick comedy styles
Welcome to Coffee Loft , a place where romance is always brewing.
Grab your favorite table over in the corner and be prepared to be swept off your feet. This multi-author collection features some of your favorite sweet romance authors that you already know and love as well as a few new names you'll be rushing to check out.
From cold brews to cappuccinos and frothy frappes, there's something on the menu for every romantic comedy reader. Fake dates, meddling matchmakers, friends-to-lovers and so much more, each stand-alone story is the right blend of sweetness, guaranteed to warm your heart. Happily-ever-afters coming right up!
There’s nothing like getting fired by an overeducated dumb person on Christmas Eve!
Even worse, I’m not the first person my cantankerous-jerk bosshole pulled this on.
It isn’t fair. Not to mention I’m now broke.
Somebody must stop his bullying before his over-inflated-bobble head gets even bigger. And bobblier.
That somebody might as well be me.
Christian
Lofty sacrifices is my motto as I build my Coffee Loft empire.
I want to be the top boss, with my feet up on a mahogany desk.
My lightly iced, half-caff, Grande, 5-pump, sugar free, cinnamon dolce, almond milk latte with whip in one hand and the keys to my Mercedes in the other.
Goals.
Eliminate anyone who gets in my way.
I’ve already forgotten little Miss Attitude, who I just fired.
That is until she returns with a diabolical plan to steal all my customers.
I do the only thing I know how to do and declare war!
Pardon my French Press is a forced proximity, enemies to lovers, slow burn, sweet romantic comedy with a HEA. It’s perfect for fans of exaggerated slapstick comedy styles
Welcome to Coffee Loft , a place where romance is always brewing.
Grab your favorite table over in the corner and be prepared to be swept off your feet. This multi-author collection features some of your favorite sweet romance authors that you already know and love as well as a few new names you'll be rushing to check out.
From cold brews to cappuccinos and frothy frappes, there's something on the menu for every romantic comedy reader. Fake dates, meddling matchmakers, friends-to-lovers and so much more, each stand-alone story is the right blend of sweetness, guaranteed to warm your heart. Happily-ever-afters coming right up!
199 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 4, 2024
102 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 4, 2024
I could not put this down. There was so much anger from the start, I had to find out how this would turn around for Christian and Portia!
Christian was a very unlikable character for most of this story. He was arrogant and haughty. Which surprised me, because the very beginning scene, he seemed thoughtful and giving with the homeless man. But, he stormed into his new business and took over- not in a nice way. He grew on me though. We see his past and learn why he’s guarded. His wittiness and enjoyment of a good sarcastic banter session made me love him. A true family man at heart who isn’t afraid to teasingly give you a hard time.
Portia was fun! I love the matchmaking side hustle and her role in it. The scenes with her neighbors dog and her cat made me laugh out loud.
So many different scenarios that these characters get themselves into.
This will make you laugh out loud, cry, and want to make up some of your own witty comments to fling back at the MC.
Christian was a very unlikable character for most of this story. He was arrogant and haughty. Which surprised me, because the very beginning scene, he seemed thoughtful and giving with the homeless man. But, he stormed into his new business and took over- not in a nice way. He grew on me though. We see his past and learn why he’s guarded. His wittiness and enjoyment of a good sarcastic banter session made me love him. A true family man at heart who isn’t afraid to teasingly give you a hard time.
Portia was fun! I love the matchmaking side hustle and her role in it. The scenes with her neighbors dog and her cat made me laugh out loud.
So many different scenarios that these characters get themselves into.
This will make you laugh out loud, cry, and want to make up some of your own witty comments to fling back at the MC.
July 29, 2024
Christian is the new owner of a coffee shop, part of the Coffee Loft franchise and he’s bitten off a bit more than he can chew. Overwhelmed, he makes a really off-the-rocker decision to fire nearly everyone right before Christmas.
I found it really hard to like Christian. He was an unhappy and unsufferble character which is why I enjoyed Portia, an ex employee who was fired on Christmas Eve (she ate a single Oreo and Christian had a bizarre reaction to that)… when she played around with Christian and stood in front of his shop to promote her own business, a matchmaking app.
There may have also been a dog involved that knocked him on his butt as well. He literally thought he was dying too. 🫣
Served him right for throwing out her French Press!
While I did not like the male character at all, I found this sweet and clean short romance story enjoying.
Ends on a cute Happily Ever After.
I found it really hard to like Christian. He was an unhappy and unsufferble character which is why I enjoyed Portia, an ex employee who was fired on Christmas Eve (she ate a single Oreo and Christian had a bizarre reaction to that)… when she played around with Christian and stood in front of his shop to promote her own business, a matchmaking app.
There may have also been a dog involved that knocked him on his butt as well. He literally thought he was dying too. 🫣
Served him right for throwing out her French Press!
While I did not like the male character at all, I found this sweet and clean short romance story enjoying.
Ends on a cute Happily Ever After.
July 20, 2025
That was relatively funny for the fact it was so short.
January 6, 2024
'Coffee goes in, sarcasm comes out'
Portia and Christian seem like very different people on the surface, but the lessons they both learn are really quite similar. Any successful business needs time to grow organically and you cannot do everything yourself...a lesson Christian finds particularly difficult!
Christian has many sides, we first meet the exhausted and frustrated Christian, which gives us - but not Portia- an insight for the short tempered and unreasonable Christian that she first meets. Most days he is uptight and stressed, and it is easy to judge him on this, but then we meet El and she gives us further insight to Christian and his quirks. This is a journey of self discovery for both Christian and Portia, and whilst it is not set over a long timescale, they both do a surprising amount of learning and growing during this time. This shows that you cannot buy coffee loyalty, you have to earn it and people buy into people. As Portia quite rightly says 'The tips reflect the care I give the customers!'
A sweet read on Kindle Unlimited.
Portia and Christian seem like very different people on the surface, but the lessons they both learn are really quite similar. Any successful business needs time to grow organically and you cannot do everything yourself...a lesson Christian finds particularly difficult!
Christian has many sides, we first meet the exhausted and frustrated Christian, which gives us - but not Portia- an insight for the short tempered and unreasonable Christian that she first meets. Most days he is uptight and stressed, and it is easy to judge him on this, but then we meet El and she gives us further insight to Christian and his quirks. This is a journey of self discovery for both Christian and Portia, and whilst it is not set over a long timescale, they both do a surprising amount of learning and growing during this time. This shows that you cannot buy coffee loyalty, you have to earn it and people buy into people. As Portia quite rightly says 'The tips reflect the care I give the customers!'
A sweet read on Kindle Unlimited.
January 8, 2024
This was a cute, fun, and quick read. I would have loved to see the characters and their background developed a little bit more (especially Christian). I liked the idea of Portia’s matchmaking business but feel that it wasn’t fully executed/didn’t live up to its potential. Why did she decide to start the business, aside from chasing down men what steps is she taking to ensure it succeeds? Was it just a way for her to meet a man and that’s it? I think this storyline could have been better explored in a full length book but was too out of place in a short novella.
I did love the relationship between Portia and her dad though!
overall I liked how they worked together and enjoyed my first foray into the Coffee Loft series. Looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!
* I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion *
I did love the relationship between Portia and her dad though!
overall I liked how they worked together and enjoyed my first foray into the Coffee Loft series. Looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!
* I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion *
January 3, 2024
Another fun book in The Coffee Loft series!
Portia and Christian don't quite get off to a great start and have some misunderstandings. But it definitely makes for some fun reading material and laughs! I loved their banter and Portia's silly antics. They both have more to their reasonings and once they finally start getting over the initial bad start and listening, they hit it off!
There's a big ol' dog named Oliver who helps them out quite a bit too! Hahaha! It made me giggle in how Portia uses her neighbor's dog and what she's trained him to do.
And then there's a sweet and thoughtful sister named Arielle who sees what Christian can't! And with the help of these two secondary characters, this Coffee Loft and this girl and guy might just have a fighting chance.
Add in some fun matchmaking antics and a matchmaking/dating site and you have quite a delightful story!
Content: Clean.
I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
Portia and Christian don't quite get off to a great start and have some misunderstandings. But it definitely makes for some fun reading material and laughs! I loved their banter and Portia's silly antics. They both have more to their reasonings and once they finally start getting over the initial bad start and listening, they hit it off!
There's a big ol' dog named Oliver who helps them out quite a bit too! Hahaha! It made me giggle in how Portia uses her neighbor's dog and what she's trained him to do.
And then there's a sweet and thoughtful sister named Arielle who sees what Christian can't! And with the help of these two secondary characters, this Coffee Loft and this girl and guy might just have a fighting chance.
Add in some fun matchmaking antics and a matchmaking/dating site and you have quite a delightful story!
Content: Clean.
I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
January 5, 2024
This is a dual pov, clean romance. It is in a multi author series but can easily be read as a stand alone novel. Portia is such a fun, bubbly character that you fall in love with the first chapter you meet her. Christian is a character you love to hate but grows on you as the book progresses. They have a weird dynamic that honestly will make you laugh out loud at parts (especially any with Mr.Noodles and Oliver). My absolute favorite character in this story was Portia’s dad. Even as a side character, I get like he stole the show when he made appearances throughout the story.
January 6, 2024
Oreos, please!
Pardon My French Press is the second book of The Coffee Loft Series. This is a multi-author series and while each book is connected by the Coffee Loft franchise, they are all standalones and for the most part, are not connected. So far, they could be read in any order.
This was my first experience with J.P. Sterling. I enjoyed the characters, the animals and the double shot of sarcastic humor.
I would absolutely recommend this totally clean book for anyone. I will definitely will be continuing this new, unique series... and drinking way too much coffee while I do so!!
Pardon My French Press is the second book of The Coffee Loft Series. This is a multi-author series and while each book is connected by the Coffee Loft franchise, they are all standalones and for the most part, are not connected. So far, they could be read in any order.
This was my first experience with J.P. Sterling. I enjoyed the characters, the animals and the double shot of sarcastic humor.
I would absolutely recommend this totally clean book for anyone. I will definitely will be continuing this new, unique series... and drinking way too much coffee while I do so!!
January 6, 2024
I absolutely loved Christian & Portia's feisty, teasing, sweet, caring, loving, swoony story!!
June 12, 2024
This book is part of The Coffee Loft series and the main characters are Christian Hanson, who has just bought his own Coffee Loft franchise, and Portia Grant, who is one of the only employees left in the coffee shop, after news came of it being taken over. She has worked three weeks without even a day off and had worked that day without a break to eat, so she eyed the remaining Oreo cookie and decided even if it was stale, she would eat it. Just as she put it in her mouth, someone came in the back door and scared her, leaving her choking! Christian had tried to check in at the hotel he had booked until he got settled, after a long day of travelling, only to be told there was no booking for him and no rooms anywhere in town! He decided he would go to his new shop and kip there for the night, at least he wouldn’t be in his hire car or on the street. Looking through the window, all he saw was an employee eating his profits, so he wasn’t happy. But first, he has to help her stop choking, before he can actually sack her! His email to the shop stating the maximum hours anyone could work, left most of the staff leaving, and only Portia and another young woman working there, with no cover on their shifts. Working there has not been a happy experience since the old owners retired.
Portia is happiest spending time on her matchmaking app, called Your Last First Date, which has been very successful so far, but not making her any money as she has been offering a free sign up so far, to get people onto her site. Her father is a great help with her dream, helping her financially and also out and about, so she can approach singles and give them her card. Christian may not look it, but he is actually broke and making the decision to fire the other employee fro never turning up to work on time, means it is just him and Portia working, and he spots her chatting up customers, not realising it is for her new venture. It is the final straw and he ends up firing her on Christmas Eve! She is back to the hardware store and the park to recruit some more men for her app, but the coffee shop was where she got most of her women! She had posted about being sacked on her social media and Christian is shocked to find he gets no customers coming in at all in the following days. Portia is outside the shop, walking her neighbour’s dog, who she usually has chasing down men in the park, so he calls he police on her! Lots of frustration between the two, until his sister arrives at the shop and needs somewhere to stay, having given up on her college course, but won’t tell him why. As he confronts Portia again, the dog gets lose and he falls down some stairs, doing his back in and can’t work, so his sister makes him hire Portia again and also helps out a little. Christian is worried he won’t be able to make his first payment to his gran, who helped him with this endeavour, as business tanks until Portia comes back and he realises how valuable she is to the business!
While he is laid up resting on the couch in his office, his sister Arielle signs him up for the matchmaking app, even as he doesn’t really want to. Working closely together, Portia and Christian start to get along better and he can see how vital she is to his business, but it is on her app that they connect the best, without knowing the identity of who they are chatting to, as that isn’t revealed until both agree to that after chatting for a while. Arielle had bought tickets for Christian to go to a local businesses meet and greet, but he ends up having to ask Portia to go with him when Arielle drops out. It is not something either of them enjoy ad they disappear as soon as they can, finding another event nearby and being pulled into it by one woman who wants Portia to pretend to be her long missing sister, for her grandfather or Pappi, who has terminal cancer and isn’t doing well. He has been missing his favourite granddaughter and isn’t enjoying the birthday party they are holding for him. She and Christian pretend for a few hours and have a wonderful time, both feeling an attraction towards each other which they don’t really know what to do with. It is when Pappi questions his meaning of love and how he will treat her, that she is overcome by what he says. Lots of uncertainty as family matters and emergencies get in the mix, just as their romance was beginning to blossom. Christian wanted to make his family proud of him, but neither he nor his sister want anything to do with the family business, which was a strain on family matters. A good mix of real situations, an unexpected coming together of what seems to be two opposites ending in romance and both with dreams for their future business. A fun, clean romance read and an author to follow.
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
4 1/2 stars
Portia is happiest spending time on her matchmaking app, called Your Last First Date, which has been very successful so far, but not making her any money as she has been offering a free sign up so far, to get people onto her site. Her father is a great help with her dream, helping her financially and also out and about, so she can approach singles and give them her card. Christian may not look it, but he is actually broke and making the decision to fire the other employee fro never turning up to work on time, means it is just him and Portia working, and he spots her chatting up customers, not realising it is for her new venture. It is the final straw and he ends up firing her on Christmas Eve! She is back to the hardware store and the park to recruit some more men for her app, but the coffee shop was where she got most of her women! She had posted about being sacked on her social media and Christian is shocked to find he gets no customers coming in at all in the following days. Portia is outside the shop, walking her neighbour’s dog, who she usually has chasing down men in the park, so he calls he police on her! Lots of frustration between the two, until his sister arrives at the shop and needs somewhere to stay, having given up on her college course, but won’t tell him why. As he confronts Portia again, the dog gets lose and he falls down some stairs, doing his back in and can’t work, so his sister makes him hire Portia again and also helps out a little. Christian is worried he won’t be able to make his first payment to his gran, who helped him with this endeavour, as business tanks until Portia comes back and he realises how valuable she is to the business!
While he is laid up resting on the couch in his office, his sister Arielle signs him up for the matchmaking app, even as he doesn’t really want to. Working closely together, Portia and Christian start to get along better and he can see how vital she is to his business, but it is on her app that they connect the best, without knowing the identity of who they are chatting to, as that isn’t revealed until both agree to that after chatting for a while. Arielle had bought tickets for Christian to go to a local businesses meet and greet, but he ends up having to ask Portia to go with him when Arielle drops out. It is not something either of them enjoy ad they disappear as soon as they can, finding another event nearby and being pulled into it by one woman who wants Portia to pretend to be her long missing sister, for her grandfather or Pappi, who has terminal cancer and isn’t doing well. He has been missing his favourite granddaughter and isn’t enjoying the birthday party they are holding for him. She and Christian pretend for a few hours and have a wonderful time, both feeling an attraction towards each other which they don’t really know what to do with. It is when Pappi questions his meaning of love and how he will treat her, that she is overcome by what he says. Lots of uncertainty as family matters and emergencies get in the mix, just as their romance was beginning to blossom. Christian wanted to make his family proud of him, but neither he nor his sister want anything to do with the family business, which was a strain on family matters. A good mix of real situations, an unexpected coming together of what seems to be two opposites ending in romance and both with dreams for their future business. A fun, clean romance read and an author to follow.
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
4 1/2 stars
April 20, 2024
Pardon My French Press by J.P. Sterling is the perfect enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, workplace romance with rom-com feels. With a strong, sassy and smart FMC who won't be pushed around and a proud, stubborn, good hearted MMC trying to make his business dream come true. This fun read is full of the things we love most about rom-coms, lighthearted banter, misunderstandings, fateful run ins, and the finding of common ground that leads to unexpected feelings. Make sure to put plenty of time aside when you start reading this as it will be hard to put it down.
FMC Portia is a barista just trying to get by while she struggles to get her matching making app up and running. Things aren't taking off as quickly as she hoped, but at least she gets to spend some fun one on one time with her dad the last person she expected to be her wingman to find men to sign up for her app. She was working hard but change in management at Coffee shop were about to turn her world upside down. MMC Christian is finally making his business dreams come true opening his own coffee shop. What he doesn't expect is the full of sass cute barista at his front counter. In a moment of misunderstanding, Christian fires Portia. Portia's in shock and not quite sure what she's going to do, but one positive it will give her more time to work on her app. Christian thinks he can manage running the shop on his own, but what he doesn't expect is completely no customer? How is that possible? Everyone drinks coffee, right? During an accidental run in between Christian and Oliver, Portia's neighbor's dog she was walking, Christian hurts his back and has no choice but have Portia come back to the coffee shop to help. Business is booming, Christian questions, can it really be Portia that the customer's love? Quickly they spend more and more time together and the initial spark of fight turns into a spark of chemistry. Can Portia forgive Christian for misjudgment of her? Can Christian convince Portia that they can be more? Read Pardon My French Press to find out how Christian and Portia's story ends.
FMC Portia is a barista just trying to get by while she struggles to get her matching making app up and running. Things aren't taking off as quickly as she hoped, but at least she gets to spend some fun one on one time with her dad the last person she expected to be her wingman to find men to sign up for her app. She was working hard but change in management at Coffee shop were about to turn her world upside down. MMC Christian is finally making his business dreams come true opening his own coffee shop. What he doesn't expect is the full of sass cute barista at his front counter. In a moment of misunderstanding, Christian fires Portia. Portia's in shock and not quite sure what she's going to do, but one positive it will give her more time to work on her app. Christian thinks he can manage running the shop on his own, but what he doesn't expect is completely no customer? How is that possible? Everyone drinks coffee, right? During an accidental run in between Christian and Oliver, Portia's neighbor's dog she was walking, Christian hurts his back and has no choice but have Portia come back to the coffee shop to help. Business is booming, Christian questions, can it really be Portia that the customer's love? Quickly they spend more and more time together and the initial spark of fight turns into a spark of chemistry. Can Portia forgive Christian for misjudgment of her? Can Christian convince Portia that they can be more? Read Pardon My French Press to find out how Christian and Portia's story ends.
July 28, 2025
This story was cute but filled with errors. It felt like research and editing weren’t considerations during production.
There was a big inconsistency about Christian’s loan. First, it was said his grandma put up her business as collateral for his loan (implying a bank loan was obtained). Then, it was said she was wealthy and gave him a personal loan (skipping the bank middleman).
What an unrealistic back injury! When the lower back goes out, it usually takes 4-6 weeks for it to get better. Within 24-72 hours of the incident, a person does not typically have the ability to climb ten flights of stairs, climb a tree, slip in mud, sprint after a cat…
There were a bevy of misused commas, question marks, hyphens, italics, and bold.
I wasn’t sure why a non-social grump wanted to own a coffee shop (usually a hub for people). He likely would have been better off to take up his grandmother on her offer to work in her construction business.
There were conflicting stories about how Portia began her app: first, she sank her savings into it, but later, her dad had funded it.
Alphabetical order was declared but not actually used. Not sure what was up with that inconsistency.
The spool of film for a silent film is called a reel rather than a strip.
Silent films usually begin with a title card rather than a “woman flashing on the screen.” What film did they watch?
How did Christian know how to load the ancient projector?
Oliver was the highlight for me. He was a charmer of a mastiff. I did wonder how his owner felt about Portia’s unusual training of him.
The banter was great! This kept me cruising through the chapters despite the aforementioned issues.
I absolutely loved how supportive Portia’s dad was! (Minus the manipulation and lying, of course.) A father’s love knows very few boundaries. I especially cherished that his hijinks were because he wanted to see her happy. This aspect was a blast.
Content: pub mentioned
There was a big inconsistency about Christian’s loan. First, it was said his grandma put up her business as collateral for his loan (implying a bank loan was obtained). Then, it was said she was wealthy and gave him a personal loan (skipping the bank middleman).
What an unrealistic back injury! When the lower back goes out, it usually takes 4-6 weeks for it to get better. Within 24-72 hours of the incident, a person does not typically have the ability to climb ten flights of stairs, climb a tree, slip in mud, sprint after a cat…
There were a bevy of misused commas, question marks, hyphens, italics, and bold.
I wasn’t sure why a non-social grump wanted to own a coffee shop (usually a hub for people). He likely would have been better off to take up his grandmother on her offer to work in her construction business.
There were conflicting stories about how Portia began her app: first, she sank her savings into it, but later, her dad had funded it.
Alphabetical order was declared but not actually used. Not sure what was up with that inconsistency.
The spool of film for a silent film is called a reel rather than a strip.
Silent films usually begin with a title card rather than a “woman flashing on the screen.” What film did they watch?
How did Christian know how to load the ancient projector?
Oliver was the highlight for me. He was a charmer of a mastiff. I did wonder how his owner felt about Portia’s unusual training of him.
The banter was great! This kept me cruising through the chapters despite the aforementioned issues.
I absolutely loved how supportive Portia’s dad was! (Minus the manipulation and lying, of course.) A father’s love knows very few boundaries. I especially cherished that his hijinks were because he wanted to see her happy. This aspect was a blast.
Content: pub mentioned
December 24, 2023
J.P. Sterling does it again! Nothing like a romance that is “brewed” at a coffee shop! An enemies to lovers trope that is fun, romantic, and even tugs at your heart strings! 🥹
Christian, handsome, hard worker, endearing as well as a man driven to do what he feels lead to do not what he ought to do. It was his dream to build a coffee shop franchise and it started with his purchase of The Coffee Loft. Upon arrival of his coffee shop, he meets Portia. The one of two employees that made it through the transferring of ownership. Portia, bubbly, sweet & beautiful but very focused at working at The Coffee Loft to help fund and find ideal participants for her matchmaking app business (called Last First Date) to even think of finding a date herself. She gets off to a rough start when first meeting her boss, Christian, with their meet cute being anything but, however, it doesn’t take long for destiny to work through these two through mishaps of a loose dog, back injury, Last First Date app and a charity fundraiser turned date night out.
I love how the author works out a perfect timeline in the evolvement of their relationship. What starts out as very strong dislike with misunderstanding and lack of truly knowing one another, turns into flirty, fun and friendship that allows them to spark and grow unto something more with admiration, attraction and honesty.
So many sweet and tender moments weaved in and out of this story; fun nicknames and banter ….also, many fun side characters - like in Christian’s sister, Arielle (El) and Portia’s dad that add to the fun in the storyline.
Will their first date be their “last”? How does a French Press fit into this?? You will not be disappointed when you discover the answers.
I received an advanced copy of this by the author and all my comments are my own.
Christian, handsome, hard worker, endearing as well as a man driven to do what he feels lead to do not what he ought to do. It was his dream to build a coffee shop franchise and it started with his purchase of The Coffee Loft. Upon arrival of his coffee shop, he meets Portia. The one of two employees that made it through the transferring of ownership. Portia, bubbly, sweet & beautiful but very focused at working at The Coffee Loft to help fund and find ideal participants for her matchmaking app business (called Last First Date) to even think of finding a date herself. She gets off to a rough start when first meeting her boss, Christian, with their meet cute being anything but, however, it doesn’t take long for destiny to work through these two through mishaps of a loose dog, back injury, Last First Date app and a charity fundraiser turned date night out.
I love how the author works out a perfect timeline in the evolvement of their relationship. What starts out as very strong dislike with misunderstanding and lack of truly knowing one another, turns into flirty, fun and friendship that allows them to spark and grow unto something more with admiration, attraction and honesty.
So many sweet and tender moments weaved in and out of this story; fun nicknames and banter ….also, many fun side characters - like in Christian’s sister, Arielle (El) and Portia’s dad that add to the fun in the storyline.
Will their first date be their “last”? How does a French Press fit into this?? You will not be disappointed when you discover the answers.
I received an advanced copy of this by the author and all my comments are my own.
January 2, 2024
If laughter is the best medicine, you will get a huge dose from this wonderful book. I snort laughed a couple of times. There is nothing more fun to immerse myself into for the evening than a good romcom, and I was not leaving my chair until I finished this one.
Everyone loves a good French press except Christian, which Portia finds out the hard way. Portia has been single handedly running the coffee shop waiting on the new owner to appear. Everyone except Portia and Jade have bailed.
Christian wants to be coffee master by running the Coffee Loft. His plans are lofty, as he plans to kick his feet up and enjoy the money rolling in. He is in a for rude awakening. His first meeting with Portia is a memorable one. He thinks she needs an attitude adjustment. She thinks he is an ogre who believes he is better than everyone else. When he fires Portia, she vows revenge. Christian very quickly realizes he may have overreacted when the coffee shop is empty of customers.
I fell in love with both of these characters as soon as I was introduced to them. Portia has good work ethic, loves life and is a fireball with a good heart. Christian is a bit of a grumpy bear, but underneath that gruff exterior is a teddy bear. I knew he was a good man when I saw his reaction to his little sister. I enjoyed the banter between these two characters as they battled one another to one up the other one. Some of the scenes were tear worthy as well. The slow burn, enemies to lovers romance was swoony and clean. The book was easy to read and pleasurable to read as well. I look forward to the next one in this incredible series.
Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Everyone loves a good French press except Christian, which Portia finds out the hard way. Portia has been single handedly running the coffee shop waiting on the new owner to appear. Everyone except Portia and Jade have bailed.
Christian wants to be coffee master by running the Coffee Loft. His plans are lofty, as he plans to kick his feet up and enjoy the money rolling in. He is in a for rude awakening. His first meeting with Portia is a memorable one. He thinks she needs an attitude adjustment. She thinks he is an ogre who believes he is better than everyone else. When he fires Portia, she vows revenge. Christian very quickly realizes he may have overreacted when the coffee shop is empty of customers.
I fell in love with both of these characters as soon as I was introduced to them. Portia has good work ethic, loves life and is a fireball with a good heart. Christian is a bit of a grumpy bear, but underneath that gruff exterior is a teddy bear. I knew he was a good man when I saw his reaction to his little sister. I enjoyed the banter between these two characters as they battled one another to one up the other one. Some of the scenes were tear worthy as well. The slow burn, enemies to lovers romance was swoony and clean. The book was easy to read and pleasurable to read as well. I look forward to the next one in this incredible series.
Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 6, 2024
Pardon my French Press by J.P. Sterling is a book in the Coffee Loft series, a Multi Author series about the Coffee Loft franchise. Each book is a standalone, with a different setting, characters and story. This book is the third book I have read in this lovely series.
Portia is getting a new boss for the Coffee Shop she works at, and when he arrives, things quickly get heated. They get off on the wrong foot and when he lets her go, Portia thinks of ways to get even. Bonuspoint is that she now has enough time to get her matchmaking app working.
From the very first I was hooked, the writing style and humor just sucks you right in. Because of the dual POV (from Portia and and boss Christian) you get a real good picture of who they really are and what they are thinking. This writing style is one of my favorites. Portia and Christian both are great characters and they have a great chemistry, even as enemies of a sort. I had to smile a lot while reading this adorable book.
And I just love Portia’s Dad, he is so supportive and even helps her finding hunks/men for her dating app. The way they go about this is just hilarious. There is even help from a dog! I could just see it all in my mind, as J.P. Sterling paints this story just so good. There are some surprises along the way, some you see coming, but that’s not a problem at all.
Pardon my French Press is a cute, lovely, sweet and swoony adorable book, with a great and flowing humorous writing style and with fantastic characters. From the three books in this series that I have read, this is right now by far my favorite.
Highly recommended!
Portia is getting a new boss for the Coffee Shop she works at, and when he arrives, things quickly get heated. They get off on the wrong foot and when he lets her go, Portia thinks of ways to get even. Bonuspoint is that she now has enough time to get her matchmaking app working.
From the very first I was hooked, the writing style and humor just sucks you right in. Because of the dual POV (from Portia and and boss Christian) you get a real good picture of who they really are and what they are thinking. This writing style is one of my favorites. Portia and Christian both are great characters and they have a great chemistry, even as enemies of a sort. I had to smile a lot while reading this adorable book.
And I just love Portia’s Dad, he is so supportive and even helps her finding hunks/men for her dating app. The way they go about this is just hilarious. There is even help from a dog! I could just see it all in my mind, as J.P. Sterling paints this story just so good. There are some surprises along the way, some you see coming, but that’s not a problem at all.
Pardon my French Press is a cute, lovely, sweet and swoony adorable book, with a great and flowing humorous writing style and with fantastic characters. From the three books in this series that I have read, this is right now by far my favorite.
Highly recommended!
January 10, 2025
Having recently read the sister book to this story; I knew I needed to go back! So glad I did, while first impressions aren’t always everything, sometimes it takes a while to get past them!
Christian, new owner of the Long Island Coffee Loft branch, is anything but charming when we first encounter him in this book! He’s gruff and somewhat condescending to the hotel staff, who can’t find his reservation! So off to the coffee shop that has a couch in the office…as time wears on, his business venture seems to be backfiring as his staff doesn’t like change. One former employee ends up setting up a recruiting table for her matchmaking app outside of the shop!
Portia is a very self-assured, independent woman who doesn’t need a man telling her how she should like her coffee or shame her for eating a cookie because she worked through her lunch break! I love the quirkiness that makes up her personality! When her app is need of recruits, she goes to any lengths necessary and when there seems to be a glitch within it, she joins up to verify from the outside in that it’s resolved! She’s quick on her feet but ends up working at Coffee Loft again, partially to save her butt, but also because she’s that good of a person!
While this book needed to be read to satisfy my curiosity, it played out better than expected! I know JP’s wit, plus my fondness for coffee allowed me to appreciate it that much more! There is something special about the way she interconnects her worlds that make you feel perfectly at home! Loved this! Also, I might have to adopt the phrase of “Pardon my French press,” because why not?! Great job!
Christian, new owner of the Long Island Coffee Loft branch, is anything but charming when we first encounter him in this book! He’s gruff and somewhat condescending to the hotel staff, who can’t find his reservation! So off to the coffee shop that has a couch in the office…as time wears on, his business venture seems to be backfiring as his staff doesn’t like change. One former employee ends up setting up a recruiting table for her matchmaking app outside of the shop!
Portia is a very self-assured, independent woman who doesn’t need a man telling her how she should like her coffee or shame her for eating a cookie because she worked through her lunch break! I love the quirkiness that makes up her personality! When her app is need of recruits, she goes to any lengths necessary and when there seems to be a glitch within it, she joins up to verify from the outside in that it’s resolved! She’s quick on her feet but ends up working at Coffee Loft again, partially to save her butt, but also because she’s that good of a person!
While this book needed to be read to satisfy my curiosity, it played out better than expected! I know JP’s wit, plus my fondness for coffee allowed me to appreciate it that much more! There is something special about the way she interconnects her worlds that make you feel perfectly at home! Loved this! Also, I might have to adopt the phrase of “Pardon my French press,” because why not?! Great job!
July 4, 2024
This is a fun enemies to love romance. I enjoyed reading it. It’s a quick read. There were lots of funny and entertaining moments in this engaging story. The hunk hunting dog, Home Hardware visits, the “Rapunzel tower”, and so much more. Christian had bought a Long Island coffee shop and was converting it to a Coffee Loft location. Portia was an existing employee there while she built up her matchmaking business. When she pushed too many of Christian’s buttons, he fired her, which led to a bit of a war. Both main characters were great. Their antagonism was born out of misunderstanding each other and each other’s motivations, plus some self-protection. “‘He’s afraid to get close to anyone because he doesn’t want to get hurt. I almost think the worse he treats someone, it’s like an inverse barometer to gauge how much he could like you.’” The romance was cute as circumstances drove them back together and they came to understand each other better. This book is a part of the Coffee Loft multi-author series where all the books are standalones connected only by the Coffee Loft franchises. This story also has loose ties to another book by the author but it is not necessary to have read that. This is closed door romance with no harsh language.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 5, 2024
Pardon My French Press
J.P. Sterling
Coffee Loft Location: Long Island, NY
_____________________________________________
Christian expected it to be tough moving to NY and running his own Coffee Loft franchise. What he didn’t expect was a barista who stole company products (an Oreo 🤣) and a second who was never on time. He felt he had no choice to fire them… and on Christmas Eve at that.
Portia (the Oreo thief) made it her mission to get him back by sabotaging his new business.
_____________________________________________
I really enjoyed Christian and Portia’s story. It was hard for me to put it down!
I love the way the author laid out the enemies part of this story in the beginning. I was excited to see how their story turned from rivals to more.
There were so many wholesome aspects in this book. The importance both characters put on their family, the birthday party for Pappi 😭 and how Christian explained love are just a few.
Read if you like:
☕️Enemies to lovers
❄️Forced Proximity
☕️Falling for the Boss
❄️Slow burn
Thank you J.P. for the opportunity to read and review this book!
J.P. Sterling
Coffee Loft Location: Long Island, NY
_____________________________________________
Christian expected it to be tough moving to NY and running his own Coffee Loft franchise. What he didn’t expect was a barista who stole company products (an Oreo 🤣) and a second who was never on time. He felt he had no choice to fire them… and on Christmas Eve at that.
Portia (the Oreo thief) made it her mission to get him back by sabotaging his new business.
_____________________________________________
I really enjoyed Christian and Portia’s story. It was hard for me to put it down!
I love the way the author laid out the enemies part of this story in the beginning. I was excited to see how their story turned from rivals to more.
There were so many wholesome aspects in this book. The importance both characters put on their family, the birthday party for Pappi 😭 and how Christian explained love are just a few.
Read if you like:
☕️Enemies to lovers
❄️Forced Proximity
☕️Falling for the Boss
❄️Slow burn
Thank you J.P. for the opportunity to read and review this book!
January 12, 2024
What a fun read. Christian is like a dark cloud to Portia being bright sunshine. Christian buys an existing coffee shop to turn it into a Coffee Loft. Portia is one of two employees that stayed. Christian startles her with an Oreo in her mouth, when the place should have been empty. She’d just finished cleaning after working without a break and she’s starving. Things get off to a rocky start with them, but things will turn around. How? No spoilers, you’ll just have to read and find out what happens. I will say I absolutely loved what they did for Pappi and I may have shed a tear or two. Grab your copy and get ready to laugh out loud and fall in love with these wonderful characters.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
January 30, 2026
I’m not going to lie—I hated Christian for a solid chunk of this book. Like, sir… please exit the page. HOWEVER (deep sigh), I get it. By the end, I get it. Character growth will do that to you, even when you’re actively rolling your eyes for most of the ride.
This was a quick, fun, no-brain-cells-required read with banter, tension, and just enough “fine, you win” energy to make it worth it. Was it life-changing? No. Did it entertain me and leave me satisfied with how everything wrapped up? Absolutely.
Final verdict: I came for a light read, stayed for the payoff, and walked away pleasantly surprised—even if Christian tested my patience every step of the way. Sometimes that’s part of the charm. 😉
This was a quick, fun, no-brain-cells-required read with banter, tension, and just enough “fine, you win” energy to make it worth it. Was it life-changing? No. Did it entertain me and leave me satisfied with how everything wrapped up? Absolutely.
Final verdict: I came for a light read, stayed for the payoff, and walked away pleasantly surprised—even if Christian tested my patience every step of the way. Sometimes that’s part of the charm. 😉
January 1, 2024
Wow! This is such a fun story! It is an enemies to lovers with so much angst and dislike towards each other at first. Christian and Portia do not like each other as he becomes the new owner of the coffee shop she has been working and running. When they meet, he is onery because of his problems getting to the new city and he isn’t happy she is still at the store eating his Oreo. But as the story progresses there is funny texting, a crazy hunk finding dog, and a funny, supportive dad and definite love brewing at the Coffee Loft. Christian is asked what love is and oh my, it was so swoony and emotional I actually had tears. This is a must read, it was so good!
January 14, 2024
Oliver plays his part
4.5 stars only because it took me a minute to get into this. Once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. I like how it’s a franchise so each story can be set wherever the author wants and even work it into a world they have already created. Christian was definitely a grump, but I love how the birthday party for Pappi brought him alive and more real. Oliver the dog was a great addition and definitely played his part well. Portia is a great sunshine, but she’s not invulnerable as shown at the high society party. There’s several dynamics going on that gets wrapped up by the end.
Clean.
4.5 stars only because it took me a minute to get into this. Once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. I like how it’s a franchise so each story can be set wherever the author wants and even work it into a world they have already created. Christian was definitely a grump, but I love how the birthday party for Pappi brought him alive and more real. Oliver the dog was a great addition and definitely played his part well. Portia is a great sunshine, but she’s not invulnerable as shown at the high society party. There’s several dynamics going on that gets wrapped up by the end.
Clean.
June 2, 2024
This is fast becoming a very popular series having the different authors makes a refreshing difference to the stories, each bring unique and so relatable. In this story we meet Portia and Christian both seem to be opposites on the surface but they learn so many lessons throughout the story they both grow. This is a throughly entertaining story with so many slap stick moments it makes you unable to put the book down. The characters are brilliantly written and even the minor characters bring alot to the story. The Coffee Loft series is fast becoming as addictive as the drink it's named after. I've loved reading this story and hope you will to.
January 5, 2024
Hilariously amazing beyond belief
I could not stop giggling, from humor and cuteness. There is so much sass, back and forth, and hilariously amazing moments. I loved this book so much and HIGHLY recommend this one to anyone. I can't wait to read the rest of this series but this one is gonna be hard to beat. J.P. Sterling has such a fantastic talent for writing. So if you like coffee, romance, and laugh out loud/giggle worthy moments you'll love this book, so don't wait just get it NOW.
I could not stop giggling, from humor and cuteness. There is so much sass, back and forth, and hilariously amazing moments. I loved this book so much and HIGHLY recommend this one to anyone. I can't wait to read the rest of this series but this one is gonna be hard to beat. J.P. Sterling has such a fantastic talent for writing. So if you like coffee, romance, and laugh out loud/giggle worthy moments you'll love this book, so don't wait just get it NOW.
February 18, 2025
It was hard for me to decide how to rate this one. I enjoyed the writing style; the author is very talented. However, I personally didn't like the first half of the book. There was too much animosity and non/miscommunication going on. I had been waffling on whether to give it a 2 or 3 star review (leaning more towards 3 because of how well she wrote). The last half/three-quarters of the book saved it for me. If you like drama filled romance, this one's for you; and if you don't, the ending more than makes up for the drama!
January 5, 2024
This was my second read from the Coffee Loft series, and I could not put it down! Not only did it have some of my favorite tropes (grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers, dating the boss, even a play on fake dating) it also had a cat AND a dog! What a win! The characters are perfection, the plot line is lots of fun, and the romance is adorable, right down to the ending! The laughs are non stop, and the awwwww moments are fabulous! Two enthusiastic thumbs up and 5 shiny stars!
January 5, 2024
Christian and Portia
Pardon, my French press is such a fun book. I liked how both Christian and Portia overcame their initial dislike of each other and found a way to respect and like each other. I loved how the families were supportive, especially Portia’s father, but also Christian’s sister. They were valuable characters in the story. I love how the ending came together in exactly the right way to make sense and draw me in. You should read this book.
Pardon, my French press is such a fun book. I liked how both Christian and Portia overcame their initial dislike of each other and found a way to respect and like each other. I loved how the families were supportive, especially Portia’s father, but also Christian’s sister. They were valuable characters in the story. I love how the ending came together in exactly the right way to make sense and draw me in. You should read this book.
January 12, 2024
I had the honor and privilege of reading this as my first ever ARC. I throughly enjoyed it, I laughed and I swooned. Christian and Portia will forever remain in my heart. I loved their witty banter and their grumpy-sunshine relationship, especially when it came to Mr. Noodles and Oliver. I can’t wait to read the rest of this spectacular series. Y’all go support these amazing authors and there wonderful books, you won’t regret it. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited.
January 13, 2024
I have never laughed out loud more while reading
This is book 2 in the coffee loft series but can be read as a standalone. Portia and Christian get off on the absolutely worst foot and down right hate each other. A few events start to change their course and love is in the air. These two are completely hilarious. I have never laughed so much while reading 😂 and of course there is a happy ending ❤️
This is book 2 in the coffee loft series but can be read as a standalone. Portia and Christian get off on the absolutely worst foot and down right hate each other. A few events start to change their course and love is in the air. These two are completely hilarious. I have never laughed so much while reading 😂 and of course there is a happy ending ❤️
January 21, 2024
This was a delightfully fun read, packed with humor and swoon. I picked it up based on the "punny" title and crossed my fingers in hopes that the humor was carried throughout.... and was not disappointed.
It is a swoony book, meaning it focuses solely on the emotional feels of love and not the physical attributes. When Christian is asked "What is Love?", my goodness his answer!!! It made me tear up! Truly enjoyed this enemies to lovers read.
It is a swoony book, meaning it focuses solely on the emotional feels of love and not the physical attributes. When Christian is asked "What is Love?", my goodness his answer!!! It made me tear up! Truly enjoyed this enemies to lovers read.
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